Why did the Cowboys’ Albert Huggins shove a Rams staffer and what has head coach Mike McCarthy said about it?
The Cowboys head coach made it clear that the behavior of one of his players was unacceptable. By all accounts, a lesson appears to have been learned.
The concept of joint practices during the NFL preseason is always one that brings with it the possibility of conflict and that was the case during a session between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams. The only difference is that the scenario involved a player and a staff member rather than an opposing player.
Mike McCarthy dealt with Albert Huggins accordingly
According to reports, there was an unsavory situation during the joint practice session between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams earlier this week, when Cowboys defensive tackle, Albert Huggins pushed a Rams staffer to the ground. Huggins’ actions resulted in his immediate removal from the session, something which Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy reportedly spoke directly to, explaining how he dealt with the problem afterward.
Mike McCarthy said he saw the video of Albert Huggins shoving a Rams staffer a few hours after practice and called Sean McVay again to apologize.
— Michelle Montaine (@michmontaine) August 15, 2024
Said McVay told him "you would've been proud of the way your coaches reacted."
“Obviously, his behavior is unacceptable,” McCarthy said on Thursday. “It’s something that’s been addressed. He has apologized and I’m comfortable with his apology. I was obviously on the offensive side of the field when it happened. I had a chance to talk to (Cowboys defensive coordinator) Mike Zimmer and (Rams coach) Sean McVay. When it did happen, we removed him from practice. Frankly, when I saw the video a few hours later after practice, I called Sean again. His response to me was: ‘You’d have been proud of the way your coaches reacted.’ I just want to make sure that behavior is unaccepted. Emotional discipline in that moment — that’s not what we’re about. And (Huggins) clearly understands that.”
Where details are concerned, the incident occurred during Wednesday’s practice, when the Dallas defensive line was facing the Los Angeles offensive line in drills. In a clip that was circulated on social media, Huggins can be seen evading a Rams lineman during a pass-rushing simulation. As the Cowboys player made his way downfield, a Rams staffer can be seen trying to move out of the way at which point Huggins appears to shove him to the ground using both hands before trotting away.
Mike McCarthy said Albert Huggins apologized for his actions on Wednesday. It was not appropriate behavior. pic.twitter.com/HTOxR1qSRU
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 15, 2024
Unsurprisingly, Rams players gave chase as Huggins rejoined Dallas’ huddle but as can be seen, his own team would have none of it either resulting in the 27-year-old being escorted off the field. Huggins is of course entering his fifth season in the league and surprisingly, is now set to play with his fifth team in that time. Last season he played for the Atlanta Falcons, featuring in 13 games of which five were starts. Across those appearances, the former Clemson product notched 22 tackles, two quarterback hits, and one fumble recovery before signing for the Cowboys earlier this month on August 6th. Do
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